Béton Armé, Dark Thoughts, Slug, Fen Fen, and WMD.
Béton Armé at Smalls Bar 12/11/2025 - All Photos courtesy of Paul Holstein.
It was a frigid weeknight outside, and we were just clearing out from one of the bigger snowstorms of the last few years. But this was a stacked line-up that almost felt like a mini festival. It was also an interesting lineup that included an Oi! headliner touring with a Ramonescore and a hardcore band. Locally, they added an old-school punk rock band and another hardcore band. We got there early, and it was the only time I can remember Smalls Bar blocking the stage area for the bands to set up and sound check before they let us back there. WMD would play first, and they brought their crew. By the time they took the stage, there was a sizeable crowd, and a mosh pit was imminent.
WMD killed it. Fen Fen killed it. Slug killed it. Dark Thoughts killed it. Even though WMD and Slug were beatdown hardcore while Fen Fen and Dark Thoughts were punk, the crowd was equally into them all. The stage area filled in, and by the time Dark Thoughts was on the singer/guitar player was able to crowd surf while continuing to play. I was at this show mainly because I'd seen Béton Armé at a pool party during Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival in Las Vegas earlier in the year, and that show was amazing. They came out to all red lights (prompting me to activate my flash, which I try not to do), and brought that same energy to Detroit. Nearly the last show for me of 2025, and as the saying goes, sometimes we save the best for last.
